Episode 11
“……What do you want me to do, exactly?”
“We’re preparing for Young Master Ian’s picnic.”
Kitchen maid Pansy stood dumbfounded, as if she couldn’t believe what she just heard.
“I know you’re the only personal attendant for Young Master Ian. But still…”
“I know he’s not invited to the Duke’s picnic. This ‘picnic’ is a separate event.”
“A separate event?”
“Yes! It’s just me and the young master, only the two of us. I did ask a few other servants to come, but no one wanted to join.”
Pansy looked at me with pity in her eyes and slowly continued.
“As you know, the kitchen’s busy preparing for the Duke’s picnic. There’s also the gardening party next week.”
“Oh, I heard about that.”
“We can’t spare much, but we might be able to share some leftover desserts.”
“Really?”
If it’s a snack meant for the Duke and Duchess, the quality and value must be top-tier.
I hadn’t expected much, so this was actually great news for me.
I was prepared to handle everything myself, but now I’d have a bit of help.
“You…”
“What’s wrong?”
Pansy looked at me strangely as I beamed with joy.
“You’re only twelve…”
She had the face of someone looking at a poor child suffering under a terrible boss.
“Here. Take this and eat it.”
“Oh my! Thank you! Wow, it looks delicious!”
Pumpkin tart! It’s the dessert prepared for the Duke’s dinner party tonight.
And she gave me a big slice, just like that.
“Hang in there. All the kitchen staff are on your side.”
There’s really no need to worry that much…
“That’s reassuring!”
Well, might as well take it as a win.
Now that I’ve been working at the Duke’s estate for over a month, the other servants treat me like a pitiful child—or sometimes even a sort of hero.
A mere twelve-year-old girl managing that devilish—literally possessed—youngest son all on her own.
And a month has passed, yet I haven’t gone mad, gotten hurt, or died. In fact, I’ve somehow earned the young master’s favor.
There were even rumors going around that the frequency of Ian Brighton’s tormenting other servants had gone down thanks to me.
Sure, it was a bit exaggerated, but I let it slide.
No reason to stop a good reputation from growing.
Right now, I was fully basking in the trust and affection of Lady Margaret, and I was loving it.
After all, favoritism from a boss often leads to a bright future.
As I stepped out onto the lawn and took a bite of the freshly baked pumpkin tart, the cool breeze made it feel like paradise.
‘Well… except for the demon.’
But aside from that, where else would I find a better workplace?
Even just looking at my employers—excluding Ian—they’re all wonderful people.
A ducal family with royal blood, passed down for generations, and they still treat their servants so well.
And to top it all off—
“Cici?”
Even though she caught me slacking off and snacking, the Duchess remained warm and gentle.
“I’m sorry! I meant to just take a quick break! I’ll head back to the young master right away—”
“It’s alright. If anything, I’m sorry for interrupting your rest.”
I hadn’t known someone in her position could be this kind to a mere child servant.
I thought back to the count’s household… and quickly pushed the memory away.
“I heard from the chef. You’re going on a picnic with Ian?”
Rumors sure spread fast in this mansion. Already the Duchess had heard.
Then again, she’s the one most concerned about her son’s whereabouts.
“Yes! Young Master Ian surprisingly enjoys going out. We’re just planning a simple meal by the pond on the estate. Nothing grand.”
“I see. I was just feeling bad that we couldn’t take Ian to the Duke’s picnic.”
Maybe she sensed my unease. The Duchess gently smiled, her eyes clouded with complex emotion.
“You always manage to do the things I couldn’t… but so desperately wanted to.”
“That’s… you flatter me.”
“I always feel indebted to you. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”
“You’ve already done more than enough!”
I frantically waved my hands, flustered, and the Duchess looked down slowly.
“Cici. Though I… I do hope you’ll stay by Ian’s side for a long time, if ever anything becomes too difficult—please come to me.”
I blinked, surprised. The words had caught me off guard.
“As you’ve likely heard, those who’ve stayed near Ian… haven’t ended well.”
The Duchess’s steady voice trembled slightly.
“If you ended up like that too, I…”
The flicker in her eyes—was it fear?
That’s when I realized.
The Duchess had been living with guilt all this time.
She blamed herself for the servants who were harmed, broken, driven mad, disappeared, or even died because of Ian Brighton.
She must’ve thought: If only I had stopped him earlier. If only I had ‘fixed’ him.
“Lady Brighton!”
I suddenly burst out with a bright voice, startling her.
She flinched slightly as I looked straight at her and gave my best smile.
“Please remember this: I chose this job myself.”
“What?”
“I truly, really, genuinely wanted to stay by the young master’s side—that’s why I volunteered to be his attendant.”
I had always wanted to tell her this.
That I really like this job. That the benefits here are amazing. That except for the salary (which could use a bump), I’m satisfied with everything.
“Since I came to the Duke’s household, I’ve never once done anything against my will.”
For a moment, the Duchess’s eyes changed.
As if hearing something she’d never been told in her life. A faint emotion filled her gaze, then sparkled gently.
“Cici, is that tart your favorite?”
“Oh, yes!”
“I see.”
At last, the Duchess smiled, as if a weight had been lifted.
“I understand.”
The daily dessert deliveries to my room started the very next day.
“sissi, can I have one of these cookies?”
“sissi, sissi, can I have just one bite of this pudding, please?”
How did it come to this?
“Go ahead, help yourselves.”
Even if everyone here went wild eating, there’d still be plenty left. The table in my room was stacked high with desserts.
All I did was say I liked pumpkin tart.
‘Did my words really mean that much to her?’
Servant dorms are comfortable but small. A few cakes, cookie boxes, puddings, and tarts easily filled up more than half the room.
I’m sure the Duchess had all this prepared with the best intentions, but honestly, there was no way I could finish it all alone.
So the other servants helping themselves to the treats was actually a relief.
“sissi, you’re so lucky. Being favored by the Duchess.”
It was nice—until I heard that one comment.
“I spent the whole day doing laundry until my hands cracked…”
The other girls who joined the household around the same time as me were all general laborers.
That’s the usual route, after all.
My position does seem overly privileged, even though some unusual circumstances brought me here.
I’m sure the sweetness of the cream puff must’ve stirred up some deep sadness in her.
The room fell awkwardly quiet, until an older servant gently tried to comfort the crying girl.
“sissi does laundry too. Being a personal attendant sounds fancy, but she’s the one cleaning up all the things the young master destroys and taking care of his room—all by herself.”
But it didn’t help. The girl’s tears were fueled by pure frustration.
“Still, sissi gets to eat desserts like this every day! I wanted a life like that too! I didn’t want to be just another low-ranking servant!”
What do I do now?
Things had escalated dramatically over a single snack.
I was desperately trying to think of what to say when a cold voice suddenly cut in.
“Then go ahead and risk your life serving Young Master Ian.”
Another one of our peers. The oldest among the newbies, though still only eighteen.
“You’ve been here a month—you should know by now what kind of person the young master is.”
“I-I just…”
“This cake, this tart, that bread you’re eating—it’s all paid for with sissi’s life. You’re literally eating the cost of her survival.”
“I… I’m not ready to die though…”
Maybe I said it too quietly. No one in the room even acknowledged my muttering.
“You’ve heard the rumors about something evil being with the young master, haven’t you? Everyone keeps quiet about it because if the Duke or Duchess hears, you’ll lose your head.”
“……”
“Congrats. You’ve got someone willing to die in your place if things go wrong, and you even get to enjoy the expensive snacks she risked her life for. What a comfy setup.”
The girl who’d been crying earlier was now speechless.
Everything the servant had said was true. There was nothing to argue.
Everyone in the room must have thought the same.
“…But if that’s true, why does she always walk around smiling so much?”
…Maybe.
